Study Shows Cancer Misinformation Common on Social Media Sites

http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djab141 

Commentary

One-third of popular cancer treatment articles on social media are misinformed, according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. And the vast majority of that information supports approaches that may negatively affect the quality of treatment and survival. Therefore, we hypothesized that this study would show that misinformation attracts more attention and involvement than evidence-based information.

The research team set out to better understand the volume and nature of cancer information on social media, and experts in cancer treatment, health outcomes, and communication were involved in the study.

They convened a panel of medical experts to review and evaluate the claims presented in 200 of the most popular articles on social media sites. The study focused on articles related to breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancer.

The research team's findings showed how common it is for cancer patients to receive misinformation, with 33 percent of the 200 articles analyzed being misinformed. Of these, 77% were identified as having the potential to negatively impact patient outcomes.

The researchers caution us to be careful about the information we receive. Thirty percent of the information you see in the future may be wrong.

Therefore, you should carefully examine the information to make sure that it is primary information, who wrote it, and whether there is evidence for it.